"What we want to do is to take the politics out of this issue," the Minnesota congresswoman said at the Capitol, where she appeared with Reps. Steve King and Louie Gohmert to roll out King's PROMISES act, of which she is a cosponsor.

Minutes later, she said spending time in South Carolina, Iowa and New Hampshire had put her in touch with the "real world" outside of the Washington "bubble," and related meeting a shopworker at an Iowa cement plant earlier this week.

"He shook my hand and said, 'As president of the United States, I want you to give this country back to the people, because it's not working for us right now.'"

She added, "This country does belong to the American people. It doesn't belong to the politicians in Washington, D.C."

The bill would require that if the debt ceiling is not raised, members of the military continue to be paid and payments on the national debt are made. Its backers say that would prevent the fiscal catastrophe that's been widely forecast in case the Aug. 2 deadline passes without an increase.

"President Obama is holding the full faith and credit of the United States hostage so he can continue his spending spree," Bachmann said.

Gohmert drew laughs when he said the country needs strength from its president — "this president or perhaps another one, perhaps even somebody here in this room."